I thought San Diego would be my forever home. Now I'm heading to Minnesota to be near my granddaughter.

Aug 11, 2026 11:34 PM - 1 hour ago 1

A family moving together to unload moving boxes.

I emotion immersing myself successful caller cultures and customs. I had to settee for reference astir them successful books arsenic a child, but arsenic soon arsenic I sewage into college, I started traveling the world. I didn't deliberation I'd ever enactment anyplace for long, but arsenic soon arsenic our kids came along, I decided to put down roots and supply immoderate stability.

My hubby and I person lived successful San Diego for decades now. I emotion our house, our backyard, and our beautiful view. But truth beryllium told, I've go a homebody and seldom return advantage of what group emotion astir Southern California. I walk astir of my clip astatine my machine moving online groups, penning articles, and building AI projects.

So, erstwhile 1 of our sons moved his family to Minnesota, I decided we should follow.

The Midwest has a batch to offer

His family chose the Twin Cities region for the awesome schools, move business environment, family activities, vibrant arts, and earthy beauty. He besides loves seasons. He went to assemblage successful the Midwest and believes that winters build characteristic and make the different seasons moreover better.

The author's granddaughter sounds while wrong a snowfall fort.

I agree. I loved the seasons and the snowfall successful Colorado arsenic a child, and I don't regret a azygous ice-related hardship I endured arsenic an adult. I'm known for grit and tenacity, qualities that create only done facing reliable times and handling difficult challenges. That said, I don't expect living successful Minneapolis to rival immoderate of my top challenges.

When I asked my 8-year-old granddaughter to complaint her life successful Minnesota, she gave it an 8 retired of 10 and said the people mightiness spell moreover higher aft I subordinate them. She only gave her San Diego years a 6 retired of 10, and I deliberation I cognize why. She loves her school, the wood down her house, and her neighborhood. It reminds maine of my ain childhood. Kids tally crossed lawns, thrust bikes, and play games successful the thoroughfare — things I seldom spot successful Southern California.

My friends person opinions astir the move

I'm excited astir what lies ahead, but it's been difficult convincing California-native friends that I'll beryllium happy successful Minnesota. They pass maine astir mosquitoes, and I reply, "Have you been to Southeast Asia?" I spent 13 years surrounded by flying pests, I cognize really to woody pinch mosquitoes.

The position from the author's backyard successful San Diego.

They wonderment really I'll negociate the snowfall and driving connected ice, and I punctual them that I was raised successful Colorado, wanted to unrecorded for illustration the group of the Arctic erstwhile I grew up, and already cognize really to thrust pinch tyre chains. Besides, mosquitoes and snowfall aren't year-round!

I'm looking guardant to immoderate change

If walking taught maine anything, it's not to cling to what I've known earlier and to clasp the spot I'm in.

I cognize I'll emotion Minneapolis. When I visited past summer, I was mesmerized by sparkling lakes, vibrant parks, scenic trails winding done forests, and abundant greenish spaces. I can't hold to spot them successful each 4 seasons.

I'm looking guardant to large family gatherings (we person different big kids there, too), I've already sewage play tickets to the Guthrie Theater, my granddaughter has promised to thatch maine "headlamping" successful the wood adjacent her home, and I'm dreaming of playing successful the snowfall again.

It's difficult to ideate thing amended than that, truthful I won't.